Polish Pickup: Trick or Treat (September 2021)

*Disclosure: Press samples – I received these polishes for free, some with additional compensation, in exchange for swatch photography. All reviews and opinions are my own.*

Hello hello! It’s that time of the month where Polish Pickup is right around the corner, and I have much to share with you today! I’ve been very steadily increasing the number of PPU offerings I share on my blog each month, and this month I have 9 polishes and 2 IPU offerings.

This month’s PPU will be open from September 3 at 11am ET to September 6 at 11:59pm ET on the Polish Pickup site. Now for the fun stuff: we’re going in alphabetical order by brand name, so let’s get into the swatches!

BCB Lacquers: I AM CALM!

I AM CALM! is described as a dark teal polish with a blue/green shift, blue
micro flakes and holo. It is inspired by a fan art of the Sanderson Sisters.

I AM CALM! had a super smooth formula that’s pretty opaque on its first coat. I used two coats to deepen the color and fill in some lighter spots, and a glossy top coat to amp up the finish since it dries a bit flat. The color is a bit more green and emerald toned teal-like than in my photos.

Shown is two coats plus glossy top coat.

I AM CALM! will be available for $13 with a cap of 150.

Bees Knees Lacquer: Blood Moon

Blood Moon is described as an orange to gold to green pastel multichrome loaded with black to red multichrome flakes. It is inspired by American Horror Story Roanoke.

This polish is quite shimmer-opaque on the first coat, and the flake density is high. I had pretty good opacity at two coats and think two coats would suffice for shorter nails, but for those with slightly longer nails or visible nail lines three coats is expected.

Shown is three coats plus glossy top coat.

Blood Moon will retail for $13 with no cap.

Different Dimension: Spooky Season

Spooky Season is described as a darkened violet jelly polish with orange to green to gold color shifting shimmers and holographic microflakies. It is inspired by Halloween.

Spooky Season had a smooth, jelly-like base that left no strokes once dry. The formula isn’t too thick or thin, and the polish was also good at self leveling. Its final finish is pretty glossy, and the red shimmer pops gorgeously. The final tone is a bit lighter than in my swatch photos, probably due to the shimmer evenly reflecting off the light.

Shown is two coats plus glossy top coat.

Spooky Season will retail for $12 with no cap.

Different Dimension: Cuticle Oil Duo

Different Dimension also brings us a pumpkin-themed cuticle oil duo! The scents are PSL, which is described as a having notes of rich butter, a hint of coconut, creamy pumpkin, clove, nutmeg, spiced caramel, and sweet cream, and Pumpkin Cake, which smells like fresh pumpkin blended with orange peel, sweet carrot, ground cinnamon, clove bud, nutmeg, and vanilla cream. Both are inspired by Pumpkin Spice Latte season!

I’ve been a user of Different Dimension’s cuticle oils for a while, and I love them! The scents don’t linger for too long, and the oil absorbs quite well too. I’m also a fan of the brush pen applicators for cuticle oils, so it’s very portable and easy to use.

The cuticle oil duo will be available for $7 with no cap.

Dreamland Lacquer: Regular Human Bartender

Regular Human Bartender is described as a shiny multichrome with a foily-chrome finish that shifts from medium silver to ice blue and finishes with a bright pop of cyan at the end. It is inspired by Jackie Daytona, the totally regular human bartender from What We Do in the Shadows.

Oh. My. Gosh. Regular Human Bartender is something else – I’ll say that the description for the polish is super accurate since it does have a foil-chrome finish, but it’s also a stunning multichrome. The formula for Regular Human Bartender lies a bit on the thinner side, so I recommend going with thinner coats to build the color up. Brush strokes become less visible as the polish dries, and I definitely recommend three coats even if the opacity is fine at two to deepend the color.

Some lights make this polish more aqua/blue while others make it lean more silver. It feels like a metallic pool of water on my nails – I seriously can’t explain how stunning and different this polish is. Swipe through the carousels to see the shifts – you won’t regret it.

Regular Human Bartender will be available for $12 with a cap of 300.

Glisten & Glow: Cats & Bats

Cats & Bats is described as a very vampy and mysterious dark purple, almost black, jelly polish filled with iridescent flakes that shift from dark blue to purple, iridescent flakes that shift from pink to red to orange to green to gold, and added holo flakes and holo sparkle. It is inspired by Halloween’s superstitions of black cats and the spooky bats that fly at night when trick or treating.

Cats & Bats had a great formula – the flakes lie flat and the jelly base isn’t too thick. Three coats really deepens the base color and gives better flake buildup and sparkle. It dries glossy, but also looks fabulous matte.

Shown is three coats plus glossy top coat, and then with matte top coat.

Cats & Bats will be available for $12.50 with no cap.

Glisten & Glow: Glitter Grabber

Glisten & Glow brings us their popular Glitter Grabber for IPU this month. Glitter Grabber is an amazing product that gets applied after any
glitter or flakie dense manicure is done and it’s fully dry and before your top coat. It aids in creating a smoother surface for your top coat or matte top coat all while “grabbing” that extra texture!

I have a few collages that show the difference between having and not having one coat of Glitter Grabber (spolier alert, the difference is huge). Glitter Grabber is an insane game changer for those that love textured glitter polishes, and I can personally attest to that.

Glitter Grabber will be available for $8 with no cap.

Jen & Berries: Who’s a Good Girl?!

Who’s a Good Girl?! is described as a charcoal crelly with pink shifty flakes and small pink glitter. It is inspired by paw bender doggie ice cream treats on honor of Jenny’s, the maker, pup’s 13th birthday.

I love Jen & Berries’ crelly formula, and Who’s a Good Girl?! is no exception. There’s an even distribution, with pretty high density, of flakes and glitters, and the base isn’t too thick or thin. The charcoal color deepens a lot on the second coat, and I think two coats is also great for a good scattering of flakes and glitters.

Shown is two coats plus glossy top coat.

Who’s a Good Girl?! will be available for $12.50 with a cap of 100.

Lilypad Lacquer: Spookylicious

Spookylicious is described as a neon green jelly base filled with orange/pink/gold iridescent flakes. It is inspired by a picture of Halloween from the internet.

Spookylicious has pretty decent flake density, although the base is quite sheer. I recommend three coats to build up the flake layers, and if you want to cover your nail line you’ll probably want to pair this polish with a blurring base or neon green base. The neon is spectacular though – it really does pop, especially with the contrasting flakes.

Shown is three coats plus glossy top coat.

Spookylicious will be available for $14 with no cap.

Nailed It: Love Is Weakness

Love Is Weakness is described as a deep burgundy base packed with red to gold ucc flakies and pink to gold crystal flakies. It is inspired by Rowena of Supernatural.

Nailed It is pretty well known for their flakie-packed polish formulas, and Love Is Weakness is probably one of their best, at least of the ones that I have. The polish is so packed with flakes that it’s even opaque on the first coat. It does have a thicker formula because of the flake density, but it’s still easy to work with and goes on smoothly.

Shown is two coats plus glossy top coat, and then with matte top coat.

Love Is Weakness will be available for $13 with a cap of 300.

Wildflower Lacquer: Carpe Noctem

Carpe Noctem (seize the night) is described as a smoky white base with strong copper to yellow to green shifting shimmer and scattered holo. It is inspired by the White Witch.

Gosh, the makers really did not chill with this month’s theme. Carpe Noctem was another incredibly stunning beauty – it is so so shimmery and pretty. The polish is pretty opaque on its first coat, but I did have a few thinner spots at two coats and a shadow of nail line so I did three coats. Carpe Noctem is insanely glowy, and its formula was also perfect.

Shown is three coats plus top coat.

Carpe Noctem will be available for $13 with no cap.